Bees live in cities and suburbs, not only in the countryside. In some areas more bees now live in towns than on intensive farmland. Urban bees still struggle, with food spread thin and few places to nest. Here is how to help them, even without a garden.
Plant a window box or balcony
A small space feeds bees too. Lavender, borage, and thyme all grow well in pots and pull bees in. A single window box of bee-friendly plants gives passing bees a meal they would not find on concrete.
Leave the lawn to grow
Dandelions and clover are bee gold. Join No Mow May, or just mow less often. A patch of lawn left to flower feeds more bees than a neat green carpet ever will.
Put up a bee hotel
Solitary bees, like mason bees, nest in small holes. A bee hotel gives them a safe place to lay eggs. You can buy one or make your own from hollow stems and a block of wood. Fix it in a sunny, sheltered spot.
Skip the pesticides
Pesticides harm bees even in pots and window boxes. Leave them out of your growing. A few nibbled leaves do far less harm than a sprayed plant does to a bee.
Carry a bee revival kit
Towns are hard on bees. Heat from buildings and pavements drains their energy, and flowers can be far apart. Bees need help right through the UK bee season. You are more likely to find a tired bee in a city than you might think. Bee rescue kits keep bee-safe syrup on your keys, ready when you find one. Here is the step-by-step revival guide.
Support green corridors
Bees travel along strips of green that link one feeding spot to the next. Back local wildflower planting on verges, in parks, and on roundabouts. Joined-up green space lets bees move and feed across a whole town.
Spread the word
Tell your neighbours what you are doing. Share a rescue online. The more people who plant, mow less, and carry a kit, the more bees a town can hold. To understand why this matters, read about UK bee decline and the causes of bee decline.